IRC Race Report: The view from SMUve
Racing sundays
Race Format: 2 upwind and downwind sasauges
Sail Boat: Platu Smoove
Race Team: Fiona (Box), Louis(Trimmer), Zhi Xin(Mains), Alvin(Skipper/Helm), Shiwei(Mast), Tim(Bow)
RACE 1
Wind conditions: Light-Medium
We started off race one with high morale. It was exciting as we had never came together as a team to sail before. It was especially worrying as our mains, zhixin had never did that position before. The rest looked on nervously as Alvin explained the role to him considering the possibilities of wearing life jackets.
The practise run was horrible, held 10 minutes before the race proper. The tacks did not go well, ropes were caught, we could not raise the spin properly. Morale was dipping.
HORN! 5 mins to the start. Transit point was already taken and our strategy was to start off from the starboard mark as the wind and current favoured that particular side. We took off down the start on a beam ridge with the plan of tacking and coming back within 1.30 secs.
10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1! The race has started! Unfortunately we were 6 boat lengths behind the start. A combination of fat boats, mistiming, poor boat speed(no thanks to the useless mains), being passive and keeping far off the line ensured the pretty crappy start.
2 minutes later, YEAH! We crossed the line. Reality strikes when we realise we are the last boat to pass the starting line.
We tack out to the starboard area of the course where we believe we will get more winds. Tim pointed out that most boats stayed inland to reduce the current drift which is pushing use back. We decide to take that gamble of going right as the larger boats would cover our sail and the winds appear to be stronger on our tack.
Just not pointing high enough. Larger boats are covering us. We have no WIND!
"We are on the layline we are tacking now!" Alvin exclaimed 30 boat lengths from the upwind mark. Unfortunately that was WRONG!
6 boat lengths to the mark. "Errr, I think we cannot make it." Louis exclaimed ogre-like.
"TACKING NOW!"
"We are tacking again, raise the pole after the tack"
2 boat lengths from the mark, "ShIt! I cannot see the mark."
"Eh why cannot fly ah?" Louis says, talking to himself even though he is surrounded by 5 other people on a small boat.
Three mins later, it is revealed that the spin is not fully raised as Shiwei is way too light. Further examination of the next windup mark confirms this as she looks like she is struggling with a giant bird and she pumps away with her tiny fists like outstretch hands to the heavens.
Hooray, down the run we managed to get by 3 boats. Our superior tactics of pointing and bearing and taking a haute angle obviously worked. No such luck up wind though. We rounded the mark with 2 right in front. Following which, we had no choice but to tack away due to the leewind effect(I might be wrong here).
UPWIND: Tim nonchalently states, "we are going to collide with Roo."
"TACK NOW! UPZ! UPZ! UPZ!" For a moment I honestly thought that alvin became a boom box. This was a very awkward moment. Roo was 30 cm away from us and sailing on a starboard tack. We could not do anything as we were pointing at the maximum. Thus we decided to just stay the course and hope for them to tack away. In that time span, both boats were very silent and I saw Louis sending daggers to the other boat. I think his ogre instincts were acting up. Rabbit was obvious to everything and grinned away. I think she treats the box like her home thus the happiness.
"Won't breach one la!" zhixin foolishly states, he obviously has not been on the platu while Lip Hang was the mains. "DUUUUUMP!" the crew screamed in desperation. "Okay okay, I got it, I got it, oops!" The idiot was struggling with fingers and feets being unable to coordinate his action, someone really ought to sign him up for a ballet class with a pink tutu. Throughout the upwind sail, there were more instances of this foolhardy everytime the gush blew and zhixin fumbled with his fingers and hands.
We cross the finish line with 3 boats behind us. It was a smoove satisfying sail (pun intended).
RACE 2
Wind conditions: Light
You should have been there. It was a great sail.
See you next week
written by Zhixin
Race Format: 2 upwind and downwind sasauges
Sail Boat: Platu Smoove
Race Team: Fiona (Box), Louis(Trimmer), Zhi Xin(Mains), Alvin(Skipper/Helm), Shiwei(Mast), Tim(Bow)
RACE 1
Wind conditions: Light-Medium
We started off race one with high morale. It was exciting as we had never came together as a team to sail before. It was especially worrying as our mains, zhixin had never did that position before. The rest looked on nervously as Alvin explained the role to him considering the possibilities of wearing life jackets.
The practise run was horrible, held 10 minutes before the race proper. The tacks did not go well, ropes were caught, we could not raise the spin properly. Morale was dipping.
HORN! 5 mins to the start. Transit point was already taken and our strategy was to start off from the starboard mark as the wind and current favoured that particular side. We took off down the start on a beam ridge with the plan of tacking and coming back within 1.30 secs.
10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1! The race has started! Unfortunately we were 6 boat lengths behind the start. A combination of fat boats, mistiming, poor boat speed(no thanks to the useless mains), being passive and keeping far off the line ensured the pretty crappy start.
2 minutes later, YEAH! We crossed the line. Reality strikes when we realise we are the last boat to pass the starting line.
We tack out to the starboard area of the course where we believe we will get more winds. Tim pointed out that most boats stayed inland to reduce the current drift which is pushing use back. We decide to take that gamble of going right as the larger boats would cover our sail and the winds appear to be stronger on our tack.
Just not pointing high enough. Larger boats are covering us. We have no WIND!
"We are on the layline we are tacking now!" Alvin exclaimed 30 boat lengths from the upwind mark. Unfortunately that was WRONG!
6 boat lengths to the mark. "Errr, I think we cannot make it." Louis exclaimed ogre-like.
"TACKING NOW!"
"We are tacking again, raise the pole after the tack"
2 boat lengths from the mark, "ShIt! I cannot see the mark."
"Eh why cannot fly ah?" Louis says, talking to himself even though he is surrounded by 5 other people on a small boat.
Three mins later, it is revealed that the spin is not fully raised as Shiwei is way too light. Further examination of the next windup mark confirms this as she looks like she is struggling with a giant bird and she pumps away with her tiny fists like outstretch hands to the heavens.
Hooray, down the run we managed to get by 3 boats. Our superior tactics of pointing and bearing and taking a haute angle obviously worked. No such luck up wind though. We rounded the mark with 2 right in front. Following which, we had no choice but to tack away due to the leewind effect(I might be wrong here).
UPWIND: Tim nonchalently states, "we are going to collide with Roo."
"TACK NOW! UPZ! UPZ! UPZ!" For a moment I honestly thought that alvin became a boom box. This was a very awkward moment. Roo was 30 cm away from us and sailing on a starboard tack. We could not do anything as we were pointing at the maximum. Thus we decided to just stay the course and hope for them to tack away. In that time span, both boats were very silent and I saw Louis sending daggers to the other boat. I think his ogre instincts were acting up. Rabbit was obvious to everything and grinned away. I think she treats the box like her home thus the happiness.
"Won't breach one la!" zhixin foolishly states, he obviously has not been on the platu while Lip Hang was the mains. "DUUUUUMP!" the crew screamed in desperation. "Okay okay, I got it, I got it, oops!" The idiot was struggling with fingers and feets being unable to coordinate his action, someone really ought to sign him up for a ballet class with a pink tutu. Throughout the upwind sail, there were more instances of this foolhardy everytime the gush blew and zhixin fumbled with his fingers and hands.
We cross the finish line with 3 boats behind us. It was a smoove satisfying sail (pun intended).
RACE 2
Wind conditions: Light
You should have been there. It was a great sail.
See you next week
written by Zhixin
posted by Ben at
5:16 am
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